Mail-bag-transfer device.



A. F. KRUSER.

MAIL BAG TRANSFER DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 27, 1913.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEY WITNESSES aA M I 69. G

A. F. KRUSER.

MAIL BAG TRANSFER DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 27, 1913.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INVEIVTUR A TTORNEV A. P. KRUSER.

MAIL BAG TRANSFER DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 27, 1913.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTUI? .4 TTURNEV COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH (20., WASHINGTON, D. c.

AUGUSTUS F. KRUSER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MAIL-BAG-TRANSFER' DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS F. Knnsnn, a citizen of the'United States,and a resident I of New York, borough of Queens, in the county of Queensand State of New York, have made certain new and useful Improvements inMail-Bag-Transfer Devices, of

which the following is a specification.

My'invention relates to anew and useful improvement in mail bag transferdevices and more especially to a device of this character that not onlydelivers a mail bag to a moving train but simultaneously. receives onetherefrom.

Hitherto as far as I know devices have been used whereby the mailbag ishung and.

grasped by an arm attached to the moving train, and the bag to bedelivered at this point or station is thrown or kicked from the cardoor. It will be readily seen that this is followed by ill consequencesto any fragile mail that may bein the bag and also wearing anddestructive on vthe bag itself and has often times resulted in the totaldestruction of the mail and bag by rolling beneath the wheels of themoving train.

An object of this invention is to do away with the simple tossing of thebag from the moving train.

Another object is to provide mechan sm that will deliver a bag of mailto the moving train and at the same time receive one therefrom. i

Another object is to provide a device that will receive and deliver themail bags and swing from its receiving and delivering position, so thatno one may be injured if hls head or arms protrude from the wlndows orplatform of the moving train.

Still another object is to provide a device of this character that willbe cheap to manufacture, easy to construct and neat in apearance.

With these and other objects in view my.

invention consists in certain new and novel constructions andcombinations of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved device and part thereofshown Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N (W. 18, 1913.

Application filed March 27, 1913. Serial No. 757,152.

of the car, Fig. 4 is a detail view of the striking post or strikingmechanism, Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in elevation of the bag receivingmechanism that issecured to a standard Fig. 6 is a detail view inelevation of a delivery member that is also attached to thestandard,'Fig. 7 is also a detail view of the delivery member that isattached to the car, Fig. 8 is a detail new in elevation of thereceiving member that is attached to the car, Fig. 9 is a top plan viewof both sets of receiving and delivering members in engagement, and Fig.10 is a top plan view of the lower receiving arms as shown in Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 is a base plate that may be secured tothe ground in any preferable manner and 2 is a standard or post settherein and adapted to rotate about a vertical axis. A rod 3 ishorizontally and rigidly secured to the standard 2 and preferably nearits top as shown at 4, and at a suitable distance below the rod 3 ahollow rod or what I term casing 5, is secured to the standard 2, theinner end thereof passing therethrough as shown at 6. Braces 7 and 8 aresecured to the rod 3 and easing 5 to maintain the two in the samevertical plane, these braces may be secured in any well known manner andas many used as found necessary. At a suitable distance below the casing5 is secured a second casing 9 and likewise its inner end secured andpassing through the standard 2 as at 10. Adapted to movably fit withinthe casing 5 is a rod 11 and secured to the outer end thereof is amember 12 provided with a contact wheel or roller 13, the purpose ofwhich wheel will appear hereafter. To the other end of the rod 11 ispivoted a lever 14 which in turn is fulcrumed at the outer end of thepost 15 which is secured to the standard 2. r

casing 5, and the other end of the spring 16 fastened to the outer endof the post '18, which is secured to one end of the rod 11.

The purpose of this spring is to normally force the rod 11 to its innerposition and thereby force a rod 19, that is adapted to fit within thecasing 9, and also pivoted to the lever 14 as at 20, in its outerposition, it being apparent that any inward movement eX- erted on therod 11 will be transferred into an outward movement of the rod 19 andalso proportionately increased as the fulcrum of the lever 14 is at itsupper end.

The lever 14 is slotted (Fig. 2) where the ends of the arms 11 and 19are pivoted, so that there will be no binding action when the arms areactuated. Passing through the standard 2 and below the casing 9 is a rod20 and pivoted to one end thereof is a bar 21 which is fulcrume'd to apost 22 secured to the standard 2,- and at the other end of the rod 20is a cap or head 23-, and secured to this head 23 a tension spring 24:.A stop 25 is securely fastened to the base plate 1 and against which thelower end of the arm 21 is adapted to contact when set, and said arm isreleased when the standard is rotated by the striking action receivedfrom the car and also by the lower end 26 of the lever 14 striking thecap or head 23. Also secured to the base 1 is the semi-circular track orguide 27 and sliding or moving within this track 27 is a post 28-,fastened at its lower end to the'lever 29' which is pivoted to the base1 at 30. It will be noticed that this lever 29 is pivoted half waybetween the ends of the hemispherical track. Art the upper end of thepost 28 is fastened one end of a spring 31 and its other end to a post32 that is secured and projects from the standard 2. A stop 32' similarto 25 is also shown secured to the base plate 1, (Fig. 1).

From the foregoing it will be seen that g g1t w ll. be seen that this issimilar to the member 36 with the exception that instead when the lever29 is set at the left hand side of the semi-circular track the spring 31will turn the standard, when re'leased, and the arms 3, 11, 19, etc., tothe right; and when the lever 29 is set to the right hand side of thesemi-circular track, the standard 2 and arms 3, 11, etc., will be swungto the ing members 63 and 64 that are attached to 1 the car, (Figs. 1,3, 7, 8) it will be seen that I they differ only from the members 36 and37 in that, instead of pivoted to an arm they are each fastened to a rod(Fig. 7) 65 which extends through a casing 66, in which there left.

Referring now to the rod 19, it willbe seen that formed integrallythereon are two extending arms 34 and 35 and pivoted to the end of arm24: 1s a member 36 and to arm 35 a member 37. The preferable mode of securing the members 36 and 37 to the ends washer 68 secured to the rod 65and also against the insioe of the casing 66 thereby normally holdingthe member in its fore of these arms is by reducing the said ends of thearms 34 and 35 and providing these members 36 and 37 with bifurcatedarms 38 and 39 clearly shown in Fig. 5, the reduced portion of the arms34 and 35 fitting within the respective arms of the members and a pin orbolt 40 passed therethrough. Fasten'ed to the end of the upper arm 38 ofeach member is a post 41 to whlch is secured a spring 42' which in turnis fastened to post 13 secured-to the arm 345. It will be V understoodthat these two members 36 and 37 are both pivotall y secured in the sameway to the arms 34 and 35' and therefore describing'the' manner ofpivoting by securing one applies also to the other. The object ofpivoting these members in this manner is that they may swing slightly,when thrust into engagement with their corresponding members which willbe hereinafter explained.

Taking up now the construction of the member 36, which is a receivingmember, it will be seen that it is formed with an upper portion (Fig. 5)44, lower portion a5, and.

back 46, and to the back portion is secured the arm 34: as heretoforeexplained. In the face of these upper and lower portions 44 and 15 arecut two V shape grooves (Fig. 1) and pivoted on the top of the upperportion 44: are two small retaining arms or hooks 4;? and 48 which areheld normally closed by a spring -19, and similar retain'ng arms orhooks 50' and 51 are also secured to the under face of the lower portion15 and also held closed by a similar spring 52.

Securedto the lower portion 39 of the member 36is a depending post 53and to which is secured, at its lower end, a cross bar 5t,'to the endsof which are pivoted two arms 55 and 56, said arms normally held open bya spring 57. Passing through the post 53 is plunger 58 provided at oneend plunger head, and retain them in their closed position until the malbag 1S takenthere- 1 from.

Referring now to the delivery member 37 of retaining or gripping hooks(Fig. 3) U shaped springs 61 and 62 with slightly diverting ends aresecured to the upper and lower portions (Fig. 6).

Referring now to the delivery and receivis located a spring 67 thatpresses against a most position. Only one pair of retaining hooks 69 forthe receiving member is found necessary. These members 63' and 64 aresecured to a bar 70 that extends horizontally across the car opening andextend wien in their foremost position, about four inches from the sideof the car, as l have found that -mechanism which will be present whenthe to mesh therewith is a rachet78, and also here when they are thrustinto engagement.

To support the mail bags in their respective members I provide smallposts or pins, that are. formed with an. enlargement 72 thereon so thatthey will be sustained by the V shaped arms of the different members andV secured to the bottomof the pin is provided preferably a snap hook 73whichis adapted to engage with any ring, hook or handle on the end of amailbag.

Describing now the striking post or what is really the timing mechanismit will be seen that securely'fastened tothe roof of the car is a bedplate through which projects for j a short distance-a post or memberowhich is adapted to rotate .eccentrioally, and this is accomplished bysecuring the same to a rod 75 (Fig. 4) and at a point slightly ofi itscenter. secured a ratchet and crank 76 and 77, and

secured to the rod 75 is a washer 79 and spring 80. The necessity ofhaving this post adapted to swing in the manner mentioned, is that-themechanism may operate correctly regardless of the direction of themoving train, and as the bar 3 must be exactly at right angles to thetrain when the arm 19 is forced farther forward, it is necessary tosecure the post the distance of one half the thickness of the arm 3 toone side of the arm 3 when the same is at right'angles to the car.Also'secured to the side of the car is a protruding obstruction or cam81 decreasing in width from the, center toward each end and the widestor most extended portion being directly under the post 74:, and this camor protrusion 81 is formed with a sufiicient Width to force thereceiving and delivering members into engagement as will hereafter beexplained.

Now setting out the operation; assuming thetrain is running from theright to the left (Fig. 1), lever 29 is thrown to the left and securedby a notch or lock (not shown), the standard 2 is swung to the left, thelever 21 pulled away from the post and inserted in front of the stop 25,a mail bag ie secured to a small pin or post by the snaphook and placedwithin the member 37 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Likewise secured in thedelivery member in the. car is another mail bag. When the post 74;strikes the arm 3 it naturally swings the arm in the direct-ion of themoving train, the roller 12 contacts with the projection 81 forcing therod 11 inwardly and the arm 19 with the members 36 and 37 forward, andat the same time the To the lower end of this rod is end 26 of the-lever14- strikes the head 23 on the rod 20 and the spring 24: retains thelever 21 in the position shown in Fig. 2, so

that after-the train has passed, the standard 2 and its attachedarmsswing back parallel to the track and out of the way of any otheroncoming train. When the rod 19 advances .as the striking post moves thearm 3 and when the arm- 3 is exactly at right angles with the train therod 19 will be at its most outward position and the respectivedelivering and receiving members therebyforced in their engaged positionas shown in Fig. 2 and in Fig. 10, although in the latter view the pinswith the, mail bags attached are not shown in position. It will be seenthat the spring hooks 4:7, 48, and 50 and 51 of the member 36 engage, orgrasp and retain the pin with the'mall bags secured thereto, alsotllQlOWGI' portion of the bag strikes the.

plunger head 59 and holds the arms 55 and 56 securely'around the bag, sothat it will 7 not strain the hooks 47, 4.8, 50, and 55 when thepost andarms fly back parallel with the track as heretofore explained. At thesame time that the member 36 is grasping the mail bag from the movingtrain, the pin or post of the mail bag in the delivery member 37 isgrasped by the arm 69 of the receiving member 64 in the car. Ifthe trainis to adthe different delivering and receiving mem here may correctlyengage witheach other.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a device that ispositive in its action,- may receive and deliver mail to a rapidlymoving train regardless of direction, and also a device that is soconstructed that it will not be destroyed by the jar produced from apost on a rapidly moving car striking part ofthe mechanism. ,Also byusing plunger receiving and delivering members on the car the swaying ofsaid car is allowed for and as before explained the arms will swing to aparallel position with the track after the train has passed. If there is.no mail to be delivered to the train and it is only desired to receivemail from the same of course no bag will be placed in the delivering armor (vice versa). Of course many changes of detail may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claimas new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: r

1. In a mail bag transfer device the combination of, a standard, armssecured thereto,

means secured to one of said arms for delivering and receiving mailbags; means secured to a car for delivering and receiving the said mailbags and means secured to said car for contacting with the other one ofsaid arms to thereby transfer the said mail bags.

2. In a mail bag transfer device the combination of, a standard, armssecured thereto, means secured to one of said arms for do livering andreceiving mail bags; means secured to a car for delivering and receivingthe said mail bags and means secured to said car for contacting with theother one of said arms to thereby simultaneously transfer the said mailbags.

3. In a mail bag transfer device the com-' bination of, a rotatablestandard, an arm secured to the standard, near the top thereof,

casings extended horizontally therefrom arms adapted to fit within saidcasings and connected by a lever, means secured to one, of said arms fordelivering and securing mail;

bags; means secured to a car for delivering and receiving the said mailbags, and means secured to said car for contacting with the other armsto thereby transfer the said mail I bags.

4. In a mail bag transfer device the combination of a rotatablestandard, means for setting it against rotation until released, an armsecured to said standard near the top thereof, casings extendedhorizontally therefrom, arms adapted to fit within said cas ings andconnected by a lever, means secured to one of said arms for deliveringand receiving the mail bags, and means secured to a car for contactingwith the other arms to thereby transfer the said mail bags.

5. In a mail bag transfer device the combination of, a rotatablestandard, an arm secured near the top thereof, casings extendedhorizontally therefrom, arms adapted to fit within said casings andconnected by a fulcrumed lever, means for setting the said standardagainst rotation, comprising, a stop secured to the base of saidstandard, an arm secured to said standard and a lever fulcrumed thereto,and pivoted to its upper end to a second arm provided with a tensionspring; means secured to one of the arms adapted to fit within thecasing for delivering and receiving mail bags; means secured to a carfor delivering and receiving the said mail bags and means secured tosaid car for contacting with the other arms to thereby transfer the saidmail bags.

6. In a mail bag transfer device the combination of, a rotatablestandard means for setting it against rotation until released, and meansfor causing it to return to a left and right position, an arm secured tosaid standard, near the top thereof, casings extended horizontallytherefrom, arms adapted to fit within said casings and connected by alever, means secured to one of said arms for delivering and receivingmail bags; means secured to a car for delivering and receiving the saidmail bags and means se cured to said car for contacting with the otherarms to thereby transfer the said mail bag. i

7. In a mail bag transfer device the combination of, a rotatablestandard, means for setting it against rotation until released, andmeans for causing it to return to a left and right position comprising asemicircular track secured to said base, a lever pivoted at its innerend to said base, guided at its outer end by said track and connected tosaid standard by a spring, said lever adapted to be locked at both endsof said track; an arm secured to said standard near the top thereof,casings extended horizontally therefrom, arms adapted to fit within saidcasings and connected by a lever, means secured to one of said arms fordelivering and receiving mail bags; means secured to a car fordelivering and receiving the said mail bags and means secured to saidcar for contacting with other arms to thereby transfer the said mailbags. 7

8. In a mail bag transfer device the combination ofa rotatable standard,a horizontal arm secured to the standard near the top thereof, casingssecured to said standard, arms adapted to fit within said. casings, theinner ends of said arms being connected to a fulcrumed lever the outerend of said upper arm being provided with a contacting roller, the outerend of said lower arm formed into two projecting arms, a receivingmember pivoted to one arm and a delivery member to the other; meanssecured to a car for receiving and delivering mail bags and meanssecured to said car for contacting with the arm secured near the top ofthe standard, and means adapted to contact with the said contactingroller to thereby transfer the mail bags.

9. In a mail bag transfer device the combination of, a rotatablestandard, a horizontal arm secured to the standard near the top thereof,casings secured to said standard, arms adapted to fit within saidcasings, the inner ends of said arms being connected to a fulcrumedlever, the outer end of said upper arm being provided with a contactingroller, the outer end of said lower arm formed into two projecting arms,a receiving member pivoted to one arm and a delivering member to theother, and a spring secured to each of said members and said arms toretain said members in their normal position; means secured to a car forreceiving and delivering mail bags, and a post secured to said caradapted to contact with the arm secured near the top of said stand ardto revolve the said standard, and a projection secured to said car tocontact with said contacting roller to thereby force said membercomprising anupper, backand lower portion, depressions in the outerfaces, of the upper and lower portions, hooks pivoted to the'upper andlower portions and means to' normally hold the said'hooks in theirclosed position; at delivering member secured to theotherprojecting arm,come prising an upper; back and lower portion, depressions formed in theouter faces of said upper and lower portions, and spring arms secured tosaid upper and lower portions; means secured to a car to contact withthe arm secured near thetop of said standard and-means secured to saidcar to contact with an arm within one of said casings to therebytransfer the mail bags.

11. In a mail bag transfer device the combination of, a rotatablestandard, an arm secured to said standard near the top-thereof, casingssecured to said standard and arms adapted to fit therein, receivinganddelivering members secured to one of said arms; a receiving membersecured to a car comprising an extensible bracket, depressions formed inthe outer face of said bracket retaining hooks secured to the top ofsaid bracket, and means for holding the hooks normally in their closedposition means for normally. holding the bracket in extended position; adelivering member secured to said car comprising an extensible bracket,depressions formed in the outer faces thereof and spring arms secured tosaid bracket, means for normally holding the bracket in its extendedposition and means for contacting with the horizontal arm, and means forcontacting with one of the other of said arms to thereby transfer themail bags.

12. In a mailbag transfer device the combination of, a rotatablestandard, a plurality of arms supported thereby, a receiving anddelivering member secured to one of said arms a rod depending from thereceiving member, grasping arms secured to the lower end of said rod andmeans for holding these grasping arms in their open position; areceiving and delivering member secured to a car, and means secured tosaid car for contacting with two of said arms of the rotatable standardto thereby transfer the mail bag. 13. In a mail bag transfer device thecom bination of, a rotatable standard, a plurality of arms supported bysaid standard, a re-' ceiving and delivering member pivotally secured toone of said arms, a rod secured to anddepending from said receivingmemher, a cross bar secured to said arm, grasping arms pivoted to theends of said cross bar, means" for normally holding the gripping arms intheir open position and a plunger passing through said cross armprovided with an,enlarged wedge shaped head adapted to retain thegrasping arms in their lclcsed'position when said plunger is forcedinwardly; a receiving and delivering memberronnected to a car adapted tobe forced V inwardly when in the engagement with the first mentionedreceiving and delivering members and means secured to the car forforcing thelfirst mentioned receiving and delivering brackets inwardlyto thereby transfer the mail bags.

V 14. In amail bag transfer device the combination of, a rotatablestandard a plurality of horizontal arms secured thereto, a lever pivotedto the outer end of two of said arms, a receiving and V-deliveringmember pivotally connected to the lower of said arms, a

rod extending horizontally across an open ing in a car, a receiving anddelivering member yieldingly secured to said rod, a

striking post secured to the roof of said car, 5

said post adapted to rotate eccentrically and means for securing thepost in a set position, a projection secured to the side of the car saidprojection decreasing in width from its center toward both ends andadapted to contact with one of the arms secured to the rotatablestandard, to thereby force the respective receiving and deliveringmembers into engagement and thereby transfer the mail bags.

15. In a mail bag transfer device the combination of a rotatablestandard, an arm se cured near the upper end thereof, casings secured tosaid standard and arms adapted to be supported by said casings, saidarms connected at their one end by a fulcrum lever, said fulcrum beinglocated near the upper casing, a bracket provided with a roller securedto the other end of the upper arm that is supported by one of the saidcasings, the lower arm formed with two projecting arms, a receivingbracket pivotally connected to one of said arms and a receiving bracketpivotally connected to the other, a bar extending horizontally across anopening in a car, a receiving and delivering member secured to said barand oppositely arranged in respect to the first mentioned receiving anddelivering members, a striking post secured to roof of said car andeccentrically secured to a depending shaft, a ratchet secured tothe-lower end of said shaft and a lever connected thereto, a secondratchet secured to said car and adapted to mesh with the ratchetconnected to said shaft, an enlargement in said shaft and aspringbearing against said enlargementand said car, to thereby retainthe striking post in its set position; a projection secured to said cardecreasing in width from its center toward each end and its centerlocated in the vertical transverse plane with that of said strikingpost, said striking post and projection adapted to respectively engagethe arms secured to the standard near the top thereof, and with theroller secured to the arm supported by the upper casing to therebytransfer the mail bag.

16. In a mail bag transfer device the combination of, a rotatablestandard, a plurality of arms supported thereby, a receiving anddelivering member secured to one 01 said arms, a pin provided with anenlarged portion and means for securing a mail bag attached to the lowerend thereof, said pin adapted to be supported by the delivery bracket, areceiving and delivering member secured to a car, and oppositelyarranged sma te with respect to first mentioned receiving and deliveringmembers, a second pin provided With an enlarged portion and means forsecuring a mail bag secured to its lower end, and adapted to besupported by the delivery member, means secured to the car forcontacting with the arms secured to the rotatable standard to therebyforce the respective delivering and receiving members into engagementand transfer the pin, supporting the mail bag in the delivering memberof the rotatable post, to the receiving meme bers attached to the car,and the pin supporting the mailbag, inthe delivery member attached tothe car, to the receiving member attached. to the rotatable standard.

Signed at New York, borough of Queens in the county of Queens and Stateof New York, this 24th day of, March A. D 1913,

. V AUGUSTUS KRUSER.

Witnesses:

Geo. E. HENDRICKSON, HENR GE: G A N- Copies 01 this patent may beobtained for five cents each, addressing the Commissioner pf Paten -S-Wa hing on, 1).. e."

